Vocational Schools To Get More Money

The new federal budget just passed by Congress contains a $100 million increase in funding for vocational education.

Although President Reagan had sought to keep vocational funding at last year's level, $735 million, Congress approved the supplemental funding, which falls under the Carl Perkins Act.

Ken Bragg, who as chairman of a legislative committee for the National Council of Local Administrators of vocational educators lobbied for the increase, hailed the budget passage as good news.

''The problem we were running into is Congress had written a new bill with all these new mandates and charges and hadn't appropriated the money for it,'' Bragg said. Although Bragg's committee had sought the full $218 million increase Congress had authorized but not appropriated, getting any increase in tight fiscal times was welcome, he said.

While it is not clear what Florida's share of the increase will be, Bragg said the entire supplemental appropriation will be divided among the states to be used for grants.

''Whatever comes to Florida will be distributed to the various counties based on project applications and need identification,'' Bragg said. Lake County has identified about $200,000 in vocational education needs that wouldn't have been funded without the supplement, and is ready to apply for the new funds, he said.

Bragg predicted that Reagan would not veto the extra funding because it is tied to funds to support Nicaraguan rebels and he cannot veto individual items.

TALKS DELAYED

THE bargaining session between the Lake County Education Association and the school board scheduled last Thursday has been delayed until later this month to give the school district's new finance director time to study the budget the board has tentatively adopted.

Assistant Superintendent Pat Galbreath, the board's lead negotiator, sought the extension to give finance director Warren Bishop time to identify the maximum amount of funding for teacher salary and benefit improvements the district can afford this year. Bishop joined the county staff July 15.

LCEA president Gail Burry, in a letter to Galbreath, said the union ''reluctantly agrees'' to delay negotiations until the week of Aug. 18. The letter chastised the board for its offer of salary increases ranging from 2.5 percent to 5 percent and asked that it directly respond to the union's proposal for a 13.7 percent increase at the next session.

''It is my belief that we are at a crossroads in Lake County which can affect educational programs for years to come,'' Burry said in the letter. She reminded the board that it has established a committment to keep salaries and benefits competitive with those in surrounding counties and that it is allowing that competitive package to erode.

So far the school board and union bargaining teams have met twice. In May they negotiate a teacher calendar for the 1985-86 school year and in July they laid their contract bargaining positions on the table. All items in the contract are open for negotiation this year.

ADULT CLASSES

LEE ADULT High School in Leesburg will begin its 1985-86 school year Sept. 3, with morning, afternoon and evening classes available.

Registration for the free classes will be held Aug. 19-30 at the adult center guidance office from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In addition to the day and evening programs at Lee Adult, three branch centers will offer adult courses on Mondays through Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m. The centers are Tavares, Groveland and Umatilla high schools.

The center offers courses designed to help adults obtain high school diplomas, as well as special classes in the academics, personal typing, computer, art, sewing and others. All classes are open-entry, meaning students may enter at any time and work at their own pace with individualized instruction and testing.

Courses for those who already have diplomas require a registration fee.